Controlled silicone release during xerographic printing to create pressure sensitive adhesive release coat

ABSTRACT

A process for applying a release agent and pressure sensitive adhesive to cut sheet media to thereby eliminate a separate release liner. A silicone oil plus additive release layer is applied during fusing on a top surface of cut media and then UV cured. A pressure sensitive adhesive layer is applied next. The cut sheets are then stacked and a compressive force is applied that transfers the pressure sensitive adhesive from one sheet to another and helps hold the stack together.

This is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/730,533 filed Jun.4, 2015, U.S. Publication No. 20160358520, by the same inventors, andclaims priority therefrom. This divisional application is being filed inresponse to a restriction requirement in that prior application.

Cross reference is hereby made to commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No.9,592,655 issued Mar. 14, 2017 to Douglas K. Herrmann; entitled METHODAND APPARATUS FOR INLINE ADHESIVE SIGNAGE.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to applying an adhesive to signage forstore shelving, and more particularly, to an improved method thatapplies a release coating to a multi-layered media substrate within axerographic printing apparatus and applies an adhesive to themulti-layered media substrate after it exits the xerographic printingapparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Currently, the process being used to create adhesive signage for storeshelving involves applying a PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive) tape tothe paper or other substrate and then printing signs on the modifiedsubstrate. The tape involves an adhesive, a release liner and a backerwhich leads to problems, such as: running the taped media through aprinter; glue build up in the printer; feed problems due to the unevendeformation of the stack; fuser Silicone oil being unevenly deposited onthe modified substrate which then migrates to the rest of the system ofthe printer; concerns with the paper telescoping in roll form; and finalstacking of the cards due to the height of the tape. The media is0.008″, and the adhesive tape is ˜0.010″ leading to a total thickness ofroughly 0.018″ on one side and 0.008″ on the other. Additionally, at astore, the tape release liner must be removed and discarded as each ofthe ˜5K to 7K signs are placed in aisles of the store. The cost of thetape used in this process is prohibitively high.

Additionally, other adhesive signage applications include the commonpost-it notes that are created on pretreated roll form systems andstacked with a secondary guillotine cutting operation to cut the shapesafter stacking. A micro-sphere adhesive is added to the bottom of thesheet with a release agent treated top side opposite the adhesive. Thesesystems use either blank or preprinted material in roll form on largededicated roll fed systems. The micro-sphere adhesives used in theirproduction are not suitable to refrigeration and freezer applicationsand do not stand up to in-store use for the time period required. Inaddition, this is not done in a cut sheet process and does not addressrobotic or other stacking of self-adhesive signage of different shapes,sizes with variable print data.

In the prior art, a dual mode oil applying blade for applying differentoil rates depending on operating mode of an image creation apparatus isshown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,527, while a variable gloss fuser isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,592. Another variable gloss fuser isshown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,235.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved and less costly method andapparatus for applying an adhesive to signage for store shelving.

SUMMARY

In answer to this need and disclosed hereinafter is a unique processthat applies a multi-layer media substrate in-line that has both thesilicone release agent and the PSA applied to the simplex side of themedia with the silicone release layer being added during the fusingprocess and the PSA being added post printing so the media can be moreefficiently stacked, held together and then peeled and adhered to storeshelving.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Several of the above-mentioned and further features and advantages willbe apparent to those skilled in the art from the specific apparatus andits operation or methods described in the example(s) below, and theclaims. Thus, they will be better understood from this description ofthese specific embodiment(s), including the drawing figures (which areapproximately to scale) wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view illustration of a process that createsmulti-layered adhesive signage in-line with printer output;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a layered media that includes apressure sensitive agent and a release agent applied thereto;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of layered media as shown in FIG. 2 instack form; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of stacked adhesive signage with adhesive bondedto the bottom of the signage with a sheet being removed from the stackfor a store shelf application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

For a general understanding of the features of the disclosure, referenceis made to the drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals havebeen used throughout to identify identical elements.

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view illustration of the process and apparatusin accordance with the present disclosure that creates multi-layeredadhesive signage in-line with media output from printer 10. As is wellknown, in a conventional printer 10 an electrostatic latent image iscreated on a surface of an imaging member, such as, a photoreceptor. Thelatent image is developed by applying thereto a supply of tonerparticles, such as, with a developer roll which may be of any of variousdesigns, such as, a magnetic brush roll or donor roll, as is familiar inthe art. The toner particles adhere to appropriately-charged areas ofthe latent image. The surface of the photoreceptor is rotated to atransfer zone created by a transfer-detack device in the printer that isusually positioned in the six o'clock position.

At the transfer zone, the print sheet is brought into contact or atleast in proximity with a surface of the photoreceptor, which at thispoint is carrying toner particles thereon. A corotron or other chargesource causes the toner on photoreceptor to be electrically transferredto the print sheet. The print sheet is then sent to subsequent stations,as is familiar in the art, such as, a fuser and finishing devices, butin the present application is outputted onto conveyor belt 20.

The signage creation process of the present disclosure in FIG. 1eliminates the added tape used heretofore by building a layeredsubstrate or card as shown in FIG. 2 that includes the media 30, arelease agent or coating 40 and a PSA 50 designed for this application.As the media 30 in FIG. 2 exits printer 10 of FIG. 1, it is depositedonto conveyor belt 20. In accordance with the present disclosure, arelease coating 40 has been added to the top surface of the media duringthe fusing process within printer 10. That is, the silicone oil used inthe fuser of printer 10 has been modified to include a release agentthat is represented in FIG. 2 as coating 40. Release coating 40 is thenUV cured or fixed at 45 to prepare for the addition of the next stepwhich is to add a PSA 50 directly onto the release agent coating 40. Thenewly printed layered media (PSA Layer/Release Layer/Media) is then cutto size by a conventional laser 60 into cards/signage that isrobotically stacked one on top of the other by a robotic system 70 thatpicks the cards up, places them into a stack and pressing the stack tocreate an adhesive stack as shown in FIG. 3. Each lower card in thestack will remain separated by the UV cured silicone release layer. Bycreating this layered matrix on cards 30 with a first Silicone UV curedlayer and then a top layer of PSA, the cards can be made to be stackedand later peeled from each other as shown in FIG. 4. The PSA remains onthe duplex uncoated side of the top card due to the marriage of theadhesive to the fibers of the paper and the silicone release layerremains on the top of the card below.

In practice, release agents 40 comprise fuser oil that includes siliconeformulated with a pre-initiator component that crosslinks with a UV cureto initiate crosslinking in the silicone. The release agent or theirmixtures can be picked from the list in the table below and will dependupon the type of fuser and release agent management system (RAM). Forexample, for color fusers that use donor roll based RAM, release agentsof the Types 2 and 5 are used whereas for black and white fusers thatuse wick based RAM Type 1 and 3 are used. Type 4 release agents are usedwith wick based RAM for inkjet transfix systems.

TABLE 1 Name Structure Mol % Functionality Type 1 Pendant propylmercapto

(0.18-0.23% mercapto) Type 2 Pendant propylamine

(0.06-0.24% amine) Type 3 Pendant N-(2- aminoethyl)-3- aminopropyl

(0.74-1.26% amine) Type 4 Pendant tridecafluoro- octyl

(2.0-6.0% Fluorine) Type 5 Terminal propylamine

(0.05-0.107% amine)

The UV light induced component of the composition include any one ortheir mixtures from SEMICOSIL® family available from Wacker Silicones,e.g., SEMICOSIL® 949 UV A/B, SEMICOSIL® 810 UV A/B, SEMICOSIL® 945 UVA/B, SEMICOSIL® 914 THIXO A/B, and SEMICOSIL® 912 UV A/B.

The silicone is added to the top of the sheet 30 during the fusingprocess before exiting the printer and is then quickly flash cured viaUV at 45. PSA hot melt is then added directly to the top of releaseagent 40 in-line. The sheet 30 is then laser cut, guillotine cut, slitor die cut at 60 to produce sign shapes. Those shapes are then placedinto stacks with a robotic system. One such system is an Adept Quattro650 Robot made by Adept Technology, Inc., located at 5960 InglewoodDrive, Pleasant, Calif. 94588 to create ordered stacks in FIG. 4 thatnow become an adhered stack of signs. The stack is then pressed to allowthe adhesive resident on the top release coat to migrate into theuntreated/uncoated bottom of the card above. This migration of adhesivecreates a marriage of the PSA into the media above. The adhesivecontinues to migrate and marry itself to the card above during storageand shipment to a store. At the store the signs are then peeled from thetop with the adhesive adhering to the bottom of the top card andreleasing from the card below due to the release agent layer as shown inFIG. 4.

In recapitulation, a process and apparatus has been disclosed thateliminates the pressure sensitive adhesive tape added to paper usedheretofore by creating a multi-layer media substrate in-line that hasboth a release agent applied during fusing of images and a PSA appliedpost printing to the simplex side of the media so the media can beefficiently stacked, held together and then peeled and adhered to thestore shelving.

The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended,encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements,equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments andteachings disclosed herein, including those that are presentlyunforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise fromapplicants/patentees and others. Unless specifically recited in a claim,steps or components of claims should not be implied or imported from thespecification or any other claims as to any particular order, number,position, size, shape, angle, color, or material.

What is claimed is:
 1. A process for applying a release agent andpressure sensitive adhesive to cut sheet media in-line with cut sheetmedia output from a printer, comprising; applying a silicone oil to atop surface of said cut sheet media before said cut sheet media exitssaid printer, said silicone oil including an additive release agent forcoating said top surface of said cut sheet, said additive being capableof initiating crosslinking of said silicone oil and additive releaseagent coating to said top surface of said cut sheet media; exiting saidcut sheet media from said printer; UV curing said silicone oil andadditive release agent; and applying a pressure sensitive adhesive ontop of said UV cured silicone oil and additive release agent.
 2. Theprocess of claim 1, including stacking said cut sheet media and applyinga compressive force thereto that transfers said pressure sensitiveadhesive from one cut sheet media to another.
 3. The process of claim 2,including holding said cut sheet media together through said applying ofsaid compressive force to said cut sheet media.
 4. The process of claim3, wherein said silicone oil and additive release agent is flash cured.5. The process of claim 3, wherein said pressure sensitive adhesivebonds to a bottom surface of cut sheet media placed on top of saidpressure sensitive adhesive.
 6. The process of claim 2, wherein stackingof said cut sheet media forces said pressure sensitive agent positionedon said top surface of said cut sheet media to migrate into a bottomsurface of cut sheet media positioned immediately thereabove.
 7. Theprocess of claim 1, including providing said printer with a fuser. 8.The process of claim 7, including providing said fuser with a fuser oil,and wherein said fuser oil includes said silicone oil and additiverelease agent.
 9. The process of claim 8, including formulating saidsilicone oil and additive release agent with a pre-initiator componentthat crosslinks with said UV curing to initiate crosslinking in saidsilicone oil and additive release agent.
 10. The process of claim 1,wherein said additive release agent includes a UV light inducedcomponent of any one of their mixtures from a group consisting of PDMSwith vinyl and hydride functional groups+UV tracer; PDMS withvinyl+platinum; PDMS with vinyl and hydride functional groups; and PDMSwith vinyl and hydride functional groups+silica.
 11. A process forapplying a release agent and pressure sensitive adhesive to substrates,comprising; providing a printer for placing images on substrates andoutputting said substrates for downstream handling; applying a siliconeplus additive release agent to top surfaces of said substrates forcoating said top surfaces of said substrates before said substrates exitsaid printer, said additive being capable of initiating crosslinking ofsaid silicone plus additive release agent coating to said top surfacesof said substrates; exiting said cut substrates from said printer;curing said silicone plus additive release agent; and applying apressure sensitive adhesive on top of said cured silicone plus additiverelease agent.
 12. The process of claim 11 including curing saidsilicone and additive release agent with ultraviolet light.
 13. Theprocess of claim 12, wherein said additive release agent includes a UVlight induced component of any one of their mixtures from a groupconsisting of PDMS with vinyl and hydride functional groups+UV tracer;PDMS with vinyl+platinum; PDMS with vinyl and hydride functional groups;and PDMS with vinyl and hydride functional groups+silica.